LORD’S DAY, AUGUST 27
Galatians 3:19-29
Galatians 3:24

"…the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ…"

A SANCTIFIED CONSCIENCE (1)

We must thank God for creating human beings with a conscience. Man can feel glad and encouraged when he does something good, and he can feel sorry, regretful, remorseful or guilty when he does something wrong (Rom 2:15). A person who has murdered someone cannot have peace or sound sleep; but an animal still sleeps well after killing another animal or even a human being! This shows that man can never evolve from monkeys, and that man has a conscience while animals do not. 

God created human beings with a conscience to convict them of their sins and to turn them to God in repentance. Sadly, many have suppressed the functions of their conscience and hardened it by unbiblical beliefs, ungodly lifestyles, worldly values, philosophies, human reasoning, good works and religious practices. Due to Adam and Eve’s fall, the human conscience is not a reliable judge and guide any more as "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer 17:9).

Many think that they have a good conscience because they have never murdered, nor committed adultery, nor harmed others. Their conscience is not sharp and sensitive enough to see that the holy God has already condemned their pride, hatred, envy, sexual lusts, lies, selfishness or covetousness as sins! Many think that they are holier and better than others because they have forsaken this world and confined themselves in monasteries or temples in their effort to keep themselves holy and pure. However, outside of Christ, their heart is still deceitful, sinful and wicked (Jer 17:9; Mark 7:21-23), and all their good works and self-righteousness are like filthy rags before the holy God (Isa 64:6). Man’s conscience must be examined in the light of God’s moral standard, even God’s Word, which is like a mirror, showing us our sinful state and leading us to the Saviour Jesus Christ (Rom 3:20; Gal 3:24; James 1:23-24). What about your conscience?

THOUGHT: I must thank God for convicting me of my sins.
PRAYER: Lord, please search me and convict me of my sins.